Earlier this year I identified myself openly as a feminist. I did this because, as I wrote then, I believe
in the radical notion that women are people. I view feminism as the
next stage in the journey toward recognizing and affirming the
inherent dignity and worth of all of God's people. It took us far too
long to admit that slavery was wrong and take the steps to abolish
it. Although it unfortunately persists to this day, most people would
denounce it as fundamentally immoral because it exalts the value and
worth (along with the power and control) of one human or group of
humans over another.
As people began to recognize and fight
against the immorality of slavery, they also saw that the denigration
and marginalization of women, their treatment as inferior beings, was
also morally untenable. It has taken longer for this truth to gain
traction and acceptance in society, but as feminism continues to
speak out against the injustices women suffer globally its message grows stronger, as does the reaction
against it. This doesn't surprise me,
although it saddens me. In order to achieve the full equality of
women, the patriarchal systems that have dominated human society
throughout its history must be dismantled. This threatens those who
enjoy the power and privilege that comes with the current
structure—namely men. Julie Clawson stated this quite well in her
series of blog posts describing her journey to affirming feminism.
“The feminist movement is a threat to
patriarchy, there is no way around that fact. And any voice or
movement that attempts to challenge the power and prestige of those
supporting the status quo is bound to receive some major push-back.
Since actually engaging in conversation about whether women are fully
human, worthy of respect, and intelligent would be devastating to the
culture of patriarchy, feminism isn't debated in our culture; it is
simply slurred.”
In her series Clawson describes the
obstacles that hindered her initially from identifying with feminism.
The campaign against feminism, against affirming the full equality,
worth and dignity of women, has been so successful in this country
that even many who believe in the inherent value of women often
hesitate to identify themselves as feminist. My wife would be among
them. She absolutely affirms her value and that of other women, but
she resists identifying herself as a feminist because of the negative
baggage associated with the term. I imagine there are many others
like my wife, and like myself and Julie Clawson for so long, who fear
the negative response they will get if they identify themselves as
feminists. As Clawson says:
“Yep, that was me. I was all ready to
escape from patriarchy's lies, to live into my full potential as a
woman, and to benefit from the work of feminists of the past, but I
was scared to actually call myself one. I didn't want to be mocked or
called a feminazi simply for suggesting that women were people too.”
Clawson provides a helpful, honest
description of her journey to feminism, and I would strongly
encourage readers to take the time to read her story, contained in
five parts, to each of which I provide direct links here: part 1,
part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5. I appreciate Clawson's
recognition that too many people identify feminism with one or two
specific issues which they oppose and use that to dismiss the whole
idea. These two ideas are that feminists all support abortion rights
and all feminists are man-haters. Clawson unpacks the fallacy of
these limitations nicely, but in order to work to debunk these false
stereotypes, let me state that most feminists are in fact not
anti-men, and not all feminists support abortion-on-demand. Feminism
is not about exalting women over men, but affirming the full equality
of men and women and building a society in which men and women work
and live together in partnership. Yes, feminism advocates the
dismantling of patriarchy, but not the establishment of a matriarchy
nor the denial of the worth and dignity of men. Clawson describes it
in these words:
“While I agree that for respect to
flourish, patriarchal attitudes that denigrate women or privilege men
at the expense of women will have to be sacrificed, those things are
sins that need to be repented of and not the core aspects of male
identity that some have argued they are.”
Like Clawson, I am no longer afraid to
be called a feminist. I choose to deal with the negative labels and
slander that come my way as a result because, to again cite Clawson,
“As a Christ-follower who cares about the truth (not to mention
justice), I believe it is necessary to oppose these lies and
dismantle misunderstandings with the light of reality.” Clawson
also refers to a comment left by a woman on her blog, in which she
wrote: “If I don't self-identify as a feminist, then that allows
people to maintain their stereotypes of feminists and who we are.”
Feminism is ultimately a positive belief – the affirmation of the
value, worth and dignity of women for who they are, without
prescribing what that must look like. There is diversity within
feminism, but the essential core message should resonate with all who
call themselves by the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus in his words and
his actions actively affirmed the dignity of women, and so must we.
That is why I am a feminist.
“I no longer think of 'feminism' as
the f-word or a term to be avoided, but a way of life to be embraced.
A way of life that helps women break free of the cage of patriarchy
and find the space to become whole.”
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